Speaking on Chetan Cheetah, the security personnel injured in the Bandipora encounter, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Friday said though his condition remains critical he is being treated by the best doctors. He said the government would extend every possible help to Cheetah. Earlier on Friday, AIIMS said that Cheetah was on the ventilator in a critical state and was responding to painful stimuli.

Cheetah, a CRPF commanding officer sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the Bandipora encounter following which he was admitted to a military hospital in Srinagar. 45-year-old Cheetah was flown in an air ambulance from Srinagar to AIIMS in New Delhi on Tuesday. According to AIIMS Trauma Centre sources, he underwent a brain surgery. Doctors said the officer had fractures in the upper limb, head injuries and “maxillofacial” injury.

In an encounter in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, one terrorist and three army personnel were killed, according to ANI. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the Hajin area of the district. Six other security personnel, including Cheetah, and a civilian also suffered injuries in the gunbattle, a police official said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following specific intelligence inputs about presence of militants in the area. While the forces were conducting the search operation, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering the encounter, the official said.

On Tuesday, in an encounter in Handwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, three militants were killed and a security personnel was injured. According to reports, gunshots were heard in Khan mohalla area in Handwara.